


I Can't Lose You

by AKW_aka_Awkward



Series: Getting Back to Us [1]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:06:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28971057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKW_aka_Awkward/pseuds/AKW_aka_Awkward
Summary: Had to rewrite some things, because my typical writing style wasn't flowing well for this fic. Some things have been taken out and some things have been added. This one in now completely in Demetri's POV. The main plot points are all the same. Not much has changed in this chapter, but feel free to reread it.Summary: Demetri and Eli have been trying to find a new normal, but Eli is blocking him at every turn. Demetri is determined to find out why.
Relationships: Demetri & Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, Demetri/Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz
Series: Getting Back to Us [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124975
Comments: 8
Kudos: 79





	I Can't Lose You

**Demetri**

Eli was acting really strange since the fight at Sensei Larusso’s. He barely talked to Demetri outside of class and he never invited him over anymore. He always had some excuse as to why not to come over to Demetri’s too. Demetri knew it was going to take time before they were even close to what they used to have, but he at least expected Eli to feel relaxed around him. He seemed almost afraid. Was he afraid he would hurt Demetri? Was he afraid of the Cobras coming for revenge? Was he afraid that Demetri was lying about forgiving him? Of course, Demetri wasn’t going to ask him any of this. Too afraid of what the answer might be.

Demetri just wished Eli would talk to him about something, anything that wasn’t Karate. It seemed that’s all that Eli was now. He was always trying to spar and teach Demetri offensive tactics. He was getting a lot better, but he didn’t understand why Eli was this obsessed with the sport. Had Kreese really broken Eli down so much that his brain could only think of one thing. Long story short Demetri was really worried about him. Worried that he would never truly get Eli back.

They were in class sparring, as usual, but at least at the dojo they were supposed to. Eli was throwing punches faster than Demetri could block, or move for that matter. Another hard kick and he was on the ground clutching his stomach. 

“Come on Demetri! You’re just blocking! You need to throw a punch or something! Continuously blocking is just going to get you hurt! Do you not understand that? It’s why you’re always getting your ass kicked!” That comment struck him, like a punch to the face. 

The class had gotten suddenly quiet. Demetri could see Sam rushing over as Eli was now hovering over him, breaths coming out short and fast.

“Back off Hawk!” Sam shoved him back a few inches. Eli got up in her face with a snarl.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do, Princess.” She immediately dropped into a defensive stance.

“Try me.”

“Hey guys, calm down. This isn’t something to fight over.” Miguel said, trying to ease the tension. He helped Demetri to his feet. He could tell that Mitch and Chris weren’t sure whose side to choose if this all went to shit. Sensei Lawrance came rushing over, putting his hand on Hawks shoulder. 

“Hawk, Miguel’s right you need to calm down. Go into the Dojo. Get some water or something. Sit down and take a couple breaths.” Hawk didn’t say anything. Just stormed off with one last glare sent at Sam. Demetri looked after him still clutching his stomach, concern written all over his face. What is wrong with him lately?

“What the hell was that Sam?” Johnny asked, irritated.

“He was threatening Demetri!”

“He wasn’t threatening anyone. And you made the first contact. That’s not what your dad would want from you.” 

“I’m sorry. I just can’t trust him after everything. Especially not with Demetri. I may have overreacted.” Sam said, dripping with sarcasm.

“Well you’re going to have to learn to trust him. We’re all friends now. We’re all one Dojo. We’re a family.”

“That predator will never be a part of my family.” She grabbed her things and left out the side door. Miguel followed her soon after, with a quick apology to Sensei Lawrence.

“I’m going to go talk to Eli.” Demetri walked toward the Dojo. As he got closer he could hear Eli swearing. He took a moment to prepare himself for the angry words that were probably going to be thrown at him. 

“What the hell are all of you staring at?! Get back to sparing! This isn’t lazy hour!” Demetri heard Sensei Lawrence as he closed the door behind him.

“Hey.” Eli looked up so fast he may have gotten whiplash. He quickly looked back down, shifting from foot to foot. That was a much more Eli thing to do. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost.

“Do you want to talk about what just happened?”

“How’s your stomach?” Eli was looking at anything but Demetri.

“Oh so we’re avoiding the question.” Eli glared at him. “It’s fine.”

“I didn’t mean to hit you that hard.” Eli glanced up at him for a moment, their eyes meeting.

“I know. It’s what you yelled that worries me.” Eli looked at the floor again.

“Well I’m not wrong! And I’m not going to apologize for that.” Eli looked him dead in the eye and crossed his arms over his chest. Demetri noticed, not for the first time, that Eli looked really good when he was brooding.

“I didn’t ask you to. I just want to know why you screamed it mid sparring in front of the whole Dojo.” Demetri also crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Eli cracked his neck. It was a lot more intimidating now that he had muscles, that’s another thing Demetri had noticed. He’s been noticing a lot of things lately. It was something Eli had always done when he was nervous. He’s never been nervous around Demetri. Odd.

“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you listen this time.” Eli was trying to sound menacing, but it just came out concerned.

“Which part am I supposed to be listening to again?” Demetri cocked his head to the side. Eli once told him he looked cute when he did that. Why was that what he was thinking about? Eli didn’t look pleased. 

“You know what I’m talking about. Don’t be a smart ass.”

“It’s better than being a dumbass.” Eli let out a small laugh at that. Demetri was going to call that a win. He missed that sound. But of course he was Demetri and had to push it. “Like when you start acting like a meat head and refuse to talk about your feelings.” Eli’s smile disappeared. 

“Do you enjoy getting pounded black and blue? Do you have some masochistic side I don’t know about? A death wish perhaps?” 

“Of course not!” Demetri rolled his eyes.

“Then why do you always block?”

“It’s what I’m comfortable with. It’s the same reason you always punch. And I am trying to use more offensive moves. I’m learning.” Did Eli really think he wasn’t trying? He was trying really hard.

“Well not fast enough!” Eli started pacing around the Dojo. “Don’t you get it! The Cobras are always on the offensive. They’ll have you on the ground in a second and they won’t stop there.” He was going to start a fire or burn a hole in the floor if he didn’t slow down. “What if I’m not there to protect you! I can’t lose you again!” Eli had tears in his eyes. He was right in front of Demetri now. How’d he move so fast?

Without a second thought, Demetri reached out and pulled Eli into a tight embrace. Eli grabbed onto him and just let his tears fall. Let all his fear and anxiety seep out of him. For the first time in a long time he didn’t feel weak for it. He just felt safe. Safe for the first time in almost a year. Eli had so much pent up emotion and it all came flooding out at once. Demetri lowered them to the floor when Eli’s knees gave out. He just held his best friend to his chest while he cried. At this moment it was like the last year hadn’t even happened. They were just back in Eli’s bedroom after a bad day. 

Demetri didn’t miss this. He didn’t miss the pain that seeing Eli like this brought to his chest. He didn’t like not knowing how to fix it or how to help. So, he just held him and hoped he wouldn’t start crying too.

After what seemed like forever, Eli finally went from openly sobbing to sniffling, but he didn’t remove his head from Demetri’s chest. He actually tightened his hold. That was fine with Demetri. He was too afraid to let go. Too afraid to wake up in his bed. Wake up in a world where his best friend hated him.

“Eli…” Demetri wasn’t sure what to say. So, he was just honest. “You’re not going to lose me. I’m never going to let that happen again.” 

“What if you don’t get to decide that.” Eli sounded so small right now. Just like the old Eli. Demetri realized in that moment that he didn’t want the  _ old _ Eli back. He wanted the  _ real _ Eli back.  _ His _ Eli, but with the confidence to always be himself. With everyone, not just Demetri. He felt bad for trying to force Eli not to change. Maybe he was somewhat at fault for the whole Hawk thing. 

“What do you mean?”

“They told me to watch my back.” Eli looked up at him, his eyes were still watery.

“I told you that we’re watching it for you. You don’t need to worry about the Cobras so much.”

“They didn’t mean it the way you think.” Eli’s voice was almost back to normal now. Demetri decided to stay quiet and let Eli speak. “Tory and I are the best fighters. They aren’t dumb enough to actually come after me. They know they’ll lose.” Demetri absent mindedly went to put his fingers through Eli’s hair like he used to. He was stopped by the mohawk. Instead he put his hand on Eli’s neck, rubbing the pulse point with his thumb. Eli hummed happily like he used to do.

“Then why are you so worried.”

“Tori is- was my friend and Kyler knows about us.” Oh the implications in that sentence had Demetri’s face heating up. “So, she knows pretty much everything. I’m sure she’s figured out that you're the reason I switched sides, even though I’ve been doing my best to avoid being seen together.” Demetri smiled at that. Eli really had come to his senses because of him. That thought made his heart flutter a little.

“That's why you’ve been so weird lately. I don’t care what those Cobra’s think.” 

“It’s not about what they think. It’s about what they’ll do. I’m afraid they’re going to come after you to get to me. What if they kill you Demetri?” Eli looked up at him with a slight panic in his eyes.

“That’s a little extreme, Eli.”

“Not really. You don’t know them Demetri. It's a kill or be killed kind of place. Kreese pushes you so far past what you think you’re capable of. I never thought I could actually hurt you, but Kreese gets in your head and then there’s the pack mentality of it all. I broke one of the only people I’ve ever loved’s fucking arm!” Eli looked like he was going to cry again. He moved away from Demetri. Demetri’s heart was beating faster when Eli said that he loved him. He would have to circle back to that later.

“Eli it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay! It’s never going to be okay. How can you ever trust me again? How can I trust myself again?”

“Because I love you that’s how. And you love me. That’s all that matters. It might take some time but we’ll figure it out. I promise.” Demetri put his hand on Eli’s face and he leaned into it with a sigh.

When Eli opened his eyes Demetri was very close. After their eyes locked they pulled away quickly and stood up. Eli cleared his throat.

“We should go back out there.”

“Yeah.” Demetri couldn’t stop smiling though. Eli was so cute when he was blushing. Eli was doing his best to hide a smile as well, but Demeri saw it.

“You should splash some water on your face.” Eli hated when people could tell he’d been crying. Well, everyone except Demetri.


End file.
